


Searching for You

by haato_biito



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Destiny, F/M, Fate, Fate & Destiny, Lore - Freeform, Memories, Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 07:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11397732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haato_biito/pseuds/haato_biito
Summary: When two individuals are childhood friends, it is hard to stop them from looking at each other. When two individuals are always together; laughing, playing, and smiling, it is hard to think of anything else.So it was not surprising that on more than one occasion, Link found himself looking at Zelda.





	Searching for You

**Author's Note:**

> This is officially my first LoZ fanfic!! I sincerely love Skyward Sword with all my heart, and when the chance arose, I attempted to take full advantage of writing some ZeLink from my favorite game. As this is my first LoZ fic, I hope it's not too OOC (it's always hard to know, because LoZ characterization usually comes down to personal interpretation), but I tried my best to do them justice!! I hope you enjoy!!~
> 
> This can also be read on tumblr [here](http://asuuna.tumblr.com/post/162585843782)!

When two individuals are childhood friends, it is hard to stop themselves from looking at each other. When two individuals are always together; laughing, playing, and smiling, it is hard to think of anything else.

So it was not surprising that on more than one occasion, Link found himself looking at Zelda.

* * *

When they first entered school in Skyloft, barely six years old, and sat next to each other on the rustic, wooden workbenches, Link had smiled at Zelda. It was an innocent, playful grin, and, not having noticed him, it took a little while before her clear, lapis-lazuli eyes had crinkled happily in return.

In that moment, she understood that Link was quieter than the rest, and she possessed an instinct that influenced her to protect him.

* * *

When Link entered the Knight Academy aged sixteen, and began to train under the careful guidance of her father’s subordinates, Zelda had congratulated him. His eyes had lit up as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and he nodded confidently. They had known each other for ten years by then, but his eyes still held a childlike quality that made her feel that not a single moment had passed since they had met.

From that day forward, he had practiced hand-to-hand combat and Loftwing aerial fights diligently, despite the occasional sleep-in. Zelda would look up from the Knight Academy’s bell fortification or from the top of the plaza’s Light Tower as a crimson flash spread across the sky. She would watch Link scan the expanse of Skyloft beneath until he caught a glimpse of her shimmering, golden hair.

* * *

When Groose was giving Link a particularly hard time about his stature and subpar combat abilities, Zelda felt irritation climb up her neck like a vine, and finally snapped. Pushing her finger into the larger boy’s chest, she told him exactly how she felt.

Link was always trying his best, always pushing his limits to prove himself – to live up to his crimson Loftwing’s name – and without anything to prove for himself, Groose was not one to talk. He only cared about his pompadour, his shadowing minions, and his ego, putting him to shame in comparison to Link’s selfless dedication to the arts of battle.

She could tell that Link was thankful for her support, and he watched her stand up to Groose with an elegance that befitted her role as the Headmaster’s daughter. Yet she could not tell him that it was that gaze he gave her that influenced her to remain so headstrong.

* * *

When Link had lost his Loftwing and Zelda had not been convinced, she pushed him off the edge of one of the myriad of dive platforms scattered across Skyloft. After all, a thrilling dive would be just the thing to ensure his crimson companion would come racing to him. Yet when Link had been falling for an uncomfortably long time, she dove off to find him, pushing her Loftwing to their limits.

She was able to catch him in time, but the sprained wing of her amethyst-feathered partner meant that she had to tend to the injured bird. She caressed the smooth down tenderly, and knew that Link was admiring the care she administered to her friend without having to look at him. From then on, she swore to never assume Link was lying again.

* * *

When the time finally came for the Wing Ceremony Race to begin, Zelda could not help but hold her breath as she watched streams of color shoot across the wide expanse of blue sky. Birds zipped in and out, bursting through clouds, trying to reach the wooden bird statuette that would ensure a chance to spend time with none other than Zelda herself. She had been chosen to play the Goddess in this year’s ceremony, and she clutched the sailcloth that adorned her neck in anticipation.

Her eyes always searched for a flash of crimson, hoping desperately it would be Link that would clutch the statuette from the smaller, golden Loftwing’s talons. After all, she had made that sailcloth specifically for him. Yet she knew how badly Groose wanted to win, and so it was with apprehension that she admired the mixing of navy and crimson as two particularly fast Loftwings sped closer to the flash of gold, driven by the desires of their riders.

It was therefore understandable that Zelda had jumped up and yelled with joy as the guardian birds came speeding back to Skyloft, and Link had held the statuette in the air triumphantly. He smiled assuredly at her as she clapped and bounced on her heels.

Upon landing, Zelda had pulled her best friend into a hug, and once again congratulated him, even before he had the chance to fully regain his land legs. She had also patted his companion and gave them some silent thanks, resting her head against the behemoth bird’s beak and closing her eyes. She knew Link was watching her as she rubbed the side of the Loftwing’s face, and could not help but let a quiet smile line her features.

* * *

When Zelda waited for Link to join her in the palms of the Goddess Statue, she stared up at the beautiful architecture in awe. A light breeze had picked up at such an altitude, and she imagined that it was Hylia’s blessing as it stroked her cheek. Her eyes were closed, yet she knew that Link had arrived, and he gazed at her as the cloth at her waist fluttered and her hair ebbed and flowed. Acknowledging his presence, she nodded and smiled. He ruffled his hair awkwardly, yet adorably, in return.

Under the watchful and intimate eye of the Goddess, Zelda had taken Link’s hands in her own. Although she had been preparing for this moment since discovering that she would play Hylia in the Goddess Ceremony, she could not deny the light fluttering of her heart as it beat happily in her chest.

Initiating the Wing Ceremony, Link had tightened his grip on her hand and knelt on one knee, swearing allegiance to Hylia. For such a quiet boy, Link always made such a profound impression on her, and she almost hoped that he was swearing allegiance to her, as well.

Little did she know that to do so would be to devote oneself to both Hylia and to herself, for they were one and the same.

She handed him the sailcloth.

* * *

When Zelda offered to Link that they should circle around Skyloft on their Loftwings together in celebration, at first, he seemed skeptical. It was as if he had a foreboding something would go wrong. Yet he gave in to her pleading, and held her hand as they jumped off the nearest dive platform together.

Peering into the vast expanse of blue sky, she admired familiar islands as they came into view, and just as quickly, disappeared. She could make out the Lumpy Pumpkin, the Bamboo Isle, and the Thunderhead, and even though the two of them had seen these islands and points of interest more times than they had each other, Zelda could not help but single them out to Link, who rode behind her.

He had smiled at her genuine display of pleasure, and was almost tempted to reach out and touch the sparkling golden locks of her hair as they fluttered in the wind, but resisted the urge. After all, she was too far away to reach, and he was fine to just watch. This being said, Zelda has sensed his intentions, and had to quickly turn away and urge her Loftwing to speed up as a light blush crossed her cheeks.

* * *

However, these moments of peace and harmony were soon destroyed, and Zelda could no longer find Link’s calm yet unwavering gaze next to her as she plummeted to the depths below the clouds. Even with Impa by her side, guiding her through her role as the Goddess’ chosen vessel, she could not help but become restless, wondering how Link was faring without her. Was he still the target of Groose’s egotistical complex? Was he still training to be a knight? Was he worried about her? Did he even remember her?

Zelda’s hair had grown, she now adorned a white dress of the highest quality cloth – fit for a goddess, and she now knew she had a duty. Due to these drastic changes, there was a lingering thought that perhaps everyone she cared for had lost any recollection of her. Yet Zelda’s mind kept wandering back to her childhood friend, and speculating hopefully that somehow, he was trying to save her.

It almost seemed like false optimism.

* * *

When Zelda had waded the waters of the Earth Temple’s Spring, she felt the lukewarm liquid slip between her fingers. An unknown power surged through her spirit, cleansing her soul, and a heavenly light shone upon her from above. Impa had instructed her to keep the Hymn of the Goddess firmly to the forefront of her attention, but it was difficult to not let her thoughts slip. Purifying herself at each of the two Ancient Springs was a task in itself, but focusing on her responsibility in addition to this was almost painful.

It was especially at moments like that that she thought most deeply about Link.

Playing the Hymn on the Goddess’ Harp, her gown still dripping with holy water, she hummed the tune, and could almost imagine Link staring after her as he always did. She could feel him take in her form – the pure white of her dress, the iridescent armlets, her new headdress. She could picture him closing his eyes as he heard her voice, soothed by the melody that rang throughout the blessed spring.

It seemed all too real.

Opening her eyes as she struck the final note and gazing up at Impa for validation, Zelda saw that the Sheikah’s attention was elsewhere. Following her stare, Zelda’s eyes widened in surprise; for there was a boy, clad in the green tunic of the Knight Academy, and wielding a brilliant blade that glowed ethereally, even when sheathed. It was the boy she had been longing for only moments earlier.

It was Link.

Her speculations had come to fruition, and she held the hallowed instrument closer to her chest. He had been there. He had watched her, just as she had hoped.

She wanted to run to him, to tell him that she was okay, but she was immediately reminded of her obligation by Impa, who held out a barricading arm, separating the two. It was with yearning and regret that Zelda stepped into the divine light the Goddess provided for her.

As everything turned to white, she promised herself and Link silently that she would soon tell him everything, as long as he came to find her again.

* * *

When Zelda strummed the last notes of the Hymn of the Goddess in front of the Gate of Time within Lanayru Desert, she looked up to see the lustrous, behemoth structure tick over like a clock. Her voice and the tune of the harp she held in her hands combined to bring the massive construction to life. She trusted that she sung loud enough so he could hear her.

She knew that he would come.

Turning around purposefully, her heart sang with joy when Link met her gaze. He had been watching her play without her noticing.

With the Gate of Time spinning on its axis, Zelda knew that if she did not tell Link what he needed to know right now, she may never see him again. During their time apart, her feelings had only grown and blossomed, until she knew exactly what she wanted to say to him.

Clutching the harp so that it would not fall, she ran towards Link. Yet once again, she was prohibited from going near him.

As Ghirahim burst into the Temple of Time, and Impa shot out a deadly beautiful beam of light that would delay him temporarily, Zelda was dragged to the Gate in an attempt to escape. There had to be some way, any way, to ensure that Link would be able to find her again, even across time.

Knowing the Goddess would heed her wishes, she thrust the harp into the air. Impa pressed against the Gate of Time, and it opened in front of her, like a flower in full bloom. The inside of the structure seemingly continued forever, as luminescent blue swirled into its depths.

Zelda was barely able to witness Link clutch the harp in his hands and give her a reassuring nod of understanding, before the Gate closed behind her, and she was left in a pool of darkness with only Impa as her guide.

* * *

When Zelda was basked in the heavenly light of the Sealed Temple, she looked back at Impa, who comforted her with a gentle smile. She knew it would not be long until Link arrived. Since she had seen him last, she had discovered a very important secret about her true identity. She was the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia herself, carefully crafted in order to provide the formless entity a mortal body.

She was not sure how she was going to tell him.

A tinkling from outside informed her that Link had arrived through the Sealed Temple’s Gate of Time, and, holding a hand to her chest, she asked Impa to lead him to her. They were very far, both in distance and in time, from Skyloft, yet knowing that he was near made the world not seem so vast.

Soon, he would walk up the flight of stairs that would lead to the back of the temple, and he would see her.

Even though she knew this, she could not help but face the back wall. A part of her was cautious as to how Link would take the news, yet the other part wanted him to see her for who she was – as Zelda, and as Hylia – for now she knew that her childhood best friend also contained the spirit of the Chosen Hero, and it was his duty to protect her. She longed to ensure he still saw her as someone he could trust; as a friend, and as a conqueror of evil.

Hearing the familiar sound of his boots as he made his way towards her, Zelda steadied her breathing and held her hands to her heart in prayer. She wished for the Goddess to give her the wisdom to continue forward, and to give Link the courage to take on what was to come.

The fairy tales about the Great War between Hylia and Demise the children of Skyloft were told seemed to be so fantastical, yet at that moment, they appeared all too real.

Zelda resisted the urge to turn around as the great doors leading to the back of the Sealed Temple were pushed open. She could sense him hesitate as he contemplated between running up to her, and taking in the beauty of the Goddess Hylia as she resided in the body of the girl he loved.

A tender smile lined her lips as she turned around to face him.

Link looked like a true champion; his Hylian Shield glistening in the beams of light from the cracks in the temple’s ceiling, and his gaze hardened from battle. Yet his eyes softened under her watch, and he smiled in return.

* * *

When Zelda admitted to Link that she was fated to be sealed under the divine protection of the Goddess, his brows drew together in pain. Seeing his heart ache for her brought tears to her eyes, yet she held them back long enough to assure him that she would return.

As glistening shards of amber swirled and hardened around her, she was able to finally say the things she had been trying to tell him for so long. Whilst it was true that Zelda was Hylia reborn, she was still her father’s daughter, and Link’s best friend.

She was still his Zelda.

A tear streaking the side of her face, and as Link futilely bashed his fist against the amber casing forming around her, Zelda asked for a final favor.

Ever since they were kids, she would be the one to wake him up when he slept in, yet this time, she wanted him to reciprocate the gesture.

When everything was over, she wanted him to come wake her up.

Link promised.

Even when encased in the shimmering luminescence of Hylia’s divine power, Zelda knew that Link spent an unfathomable period of time pressed against the barrier between them, his head hung in despair. He had admired her comatose form with a bittersweet reminiscence, wondering just how things had ended up this way.

It seemed like a lifetime ago, yet only yesterday at the same time, that they were floating amongst the clouds together, upon their guardian birds, unaware of the heavy hands of destiny on their shoulders.

Link wished that it had been anyone but her.

Zelda wished that it had been anyone but him.

* * *

When Zelda had awoken from her slumber, thousands upon thousands of years after their promise, she stood delicately on shaky legs as shards of amber ruptured around her. Once again, Link was there, as he always was. She had expected it by now, and gave him a warm smile that said, ‘I’m home’, rather than, ‘It’s been a while’.

The look of overwhelming joy on Link’s face made her sacrifice seem like child’s-play. Yet now, more than anything else, she wanted to be in his arms. Taking unsteady steps, slowly but surely, she began to walk down the stairs that divided them. The fact that she had awoken meant that everything was over. She could be with him. They could finally be at peace.

She wanted it more than anything else.

Yet after spending millennia inside the cases of the Goddess’ protection, she had been drained of all power.

She felt her conscious slip away from her.

Link noticed instantly, and rushed to her, steadying her in his arms as they both knelt to the ground.

With a weak laugh, she whispered good morning, and held his arms tighter. Link pulled her closer, taking in the scent of her hair and feeling the divine cloth of her gown as it draped over her body. He could not believe that after all this time, she was finally here in his arms.

He admired the way she sunk into his embrace, the way she sighed his name and closed her eyes in content. She knew he was watching, and it softened her.

* * *

When Demise had been defeated and the Goddess Statue had returned to its rightful place in the Temple of Hylia on the Surface, Link and Zelda once again stood atop the palms of the behemoth sculpture, yet this time, taking in a very different view.

As Link played the Hymn of the Goddess on the blessed harp, Zelda revered the view of the Sealed Grounds, and Faron Woods beyond. Loftwings still flew overhead, but it was no longer clouds that surrounded them as they sped past, but trees. Although Link strummed at the strings of the Harp, she could tell his mind was elsewhere, watching Zelda wave at Groose and his friends as they passed by on their guardian birds.

With the Triforce directly behind them, Zelda was basked in an ethereal light, her golden hair illuminated, and her white gown iridescent. It made her seem holy – too divine to touch. Yet she was his.

She was his Zelda.

Aware of Link’s gaze, Zelda turned around to face him. She admitted that as a child, she always dreamed of a world below the infinite clouds surrounding Skyloft. She wanted to see the surface with her own eyes, and feel the land’s warm breeze on her skin.

She wished to stay where she could see those sights and feel those sensations every day; to always feel the solid ground beneath her feet, see the clouds above her head, and watch over the Triforce.

She informed him that she had seen the way he looked at her when he thought she did not notice. Whether in the Knight’s Academy, flying through the islands surrounding Skyloft, or on the Surface of Hyrule, Link’s attention had always settled on Zelda like satin. He looked at her with admiration, with awe, and what she realized now was love, and although she had a feeling she knew that answer, she was curious as to what he would decide to do now.

Giving her a warm and resolute smile, he held her hands in his own. She gazed up at him, tilting her head, knowing that this was his answer. After all, he had always been a quiet boy, his actions forever speaking louder than his words.

Leaning down and brushing the hair from her forehead, his lips ghosted hers.

Suddenly, one crimson and one amethyst colored Loftwing raced to the sky in front of them. They created a gust of wind that made the falling leaves around them flutter in the sky, and the two birds intertwined in their paths to the sun to become one.

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by an anonymous ask on tumblr! Thank you for the prompt! [The prompt list can be found here!~](http://asuuna.tumblr.com/post/162456527792)


End file.
